Posts Tagged ‘jason preston’

As we mentioned back in June, Puma has revisited its partnership with model Lydia Hearst to release another round of Lydia bags — a designer take on the racquet grip bag from the company’s French 77 line. The unveiling happened at Puma’s Union Square store yesterday.

Unlike the limited-edition bag Ms. Hearst designed with Heatherette back in February (that’s her above, left), this round of bags runs $125 a pop and is constructed from eco-friendly materials (read: no leather). That earlier version was made of custom leather; most of 100 were given away to friends of Hearst, and the leftovers went on sale for $500 each.

So how did Hearst feel designing for the masses? “It’s much easier to create a high-end bag than a mass market bag that everyone can afford,” she shared with WWD. “But by looking at the bag, you wouldn’t know it’s mass market. I wanted to make sure anyone and everybody can enjoy my designs.”

Here’s a photo of former rentboy (and Marc Jacobs‘ ex) Jason Preston. And a photo of what the Union Square store.

The bag comes in two colorways: black/bright blue and silver. They go on sale on Friday at Puma concept stores. (Edit: Buy the bag here.)

More to come: Hearst and Puma will also team up for an eco-friendly activewear line to launch in the fall of 2008.